Para 8 — CSMOP
Original Rule Text
# 8. Functions at various levels
(a) Secretary – A Secretary to the Government of India is the administrative head of the Ministry or Department, who is the principal adviser to the Minister on all matters of policy and the administration within the Ministry/Department.
(b) Special Secretary/Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary - One or more wings may be established with Special Secretary/Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary, in-charge of each wing under the charge of Secretary.
(c) Director/Deputy Secretary – Director/Deputy secretary holds the charge of a Secretariat Division and is responsible for the disposal of Government business dealt within the Division under the charge.
(d) Under Secretary – An Under Secretary is in-charge of the Branch in the Ministry/Department consisting of one or more Sections.
(e) Section Officer - A Section Officer is the in-charge of a Section who has to ensure efficient and expeditious disposal of work, recording and weeding out, indexing and digitization. For this, they shall take all necessary steps including
(i) distribution of work among the staff as evenly as possible;
(ii) training, helping and advising the staff;
(iii) management and co-ordination of work;
(iv) ensuring maintenance of order and discipline in the section;
(v) maintenance of a list of residential addresses of the Staff
(vi) submit receipts which should be seen by Branch Officer/Higher officer at dak stage;
(vii) dispose of routine cases*, issue reminders, obtain or supply factual non-classified information;
(viii) take intermediate routine action;
(ix) keep a track of all judicial/quasi-judicial matters where the issues being dealt with by the section are involved;
(x) record, where necessary, a note setting out his own comments or suggestions before submitting the case to higher appropriate officer.
*„Routine cases‟ will be decided by Departmental instructions.
(f) Desk Officer – A Section Officer may be designated as Desk Officer, who is to function as per powers delegated by the Ministries/Departments like signing financial sanctions, affirming affidavits in court etc.
What This Means
Para 8 is one of the most important paragraphs in CSMOP for understanding how the Central Secretariat is organised. It defines the roles, functions, and responsibilities of every level of staff — from the Secretary at the top to the MTS (Multi-Tasking Staff) at the entry level, and including Personal Staff Members.
At the top, the Secretary is the administrative head and principal policy adviser to the Minister. Below the Secretary, the hierarchy includes Special Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary (each in charge of Wings), Director or Deputy Secretary (in charge of Divisions), Under Secretary (in charge of Branches), and Section Officer (in charge of Sections). The Section Officer is the core working-level supervisor — responsible for distributing work, training staff, managing the Section's output, and personally handling classified matters.
At the base, Assistants and UDCs are the Dealing Hands who maintain files, prepare initial notes, attach receipts to files, and do the foundational paperwork. LDCs and MTS handle registration of dak, section diary, typing, and similar support tasks. Personal Staff Members — Private Secretaries, PAs, Stenographers — manage the officers' correspondence, appointments, calls, and personal papers.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1Secretary: administrative head and principal policy adviser to the Minister.
- 2JS/Additional Secretary/Special Secretary: in charge of Wings under the Secretary.
- 3Director/Deputy Secretary: in charge of Divisions.
- 4Under Secretary: in charge of Branches (one or more Sections).
- 5Section Officer: in charge of the Section — supervises staff, distributes work, handles classified files personally.
- 6Dealing Hands (Assistants, UDCs): open and maintain files, prepare initial notes, process dak.
- 7LDC/MTS: dak registration, section diary, typing, photocopying, and support tasks.
- 8Personal Staff (PS/PA/Steno): manage appointments, calls, correspondence, and confidential papers for officers.
Practical Example
A receipt arrives in the Ministry of Health regarding a new proposal from a State Government to modify the National Health Mission's fund-flow mechanism. The MTS in the Central Registry diarises and distributes it. The dealing hand (ASO) receives it, attaches it to the relevant file, notes the precedents, and puts up an initial note. The Section Officer reviews the note, adds her own comments and directions, and submits the file to the Under Secretary. The Under Secretary examines it and sends it to the Joint Secretary. The Joint Secretary discusses it with the Additional Secretary and the file eventually reaches the Secretary for final orders or approval to convene an inter-ministerial meeting. Each level adds specific value according to Para 8's role definitions.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.